What Newborns Really Look Like

You might be envisioning a chubby little cherub but babies can run the gamut on how they look at birth: skinny, chunky, scrunched-up, long, bald, hairy, you name it (even cone-headed!). These parents shared what surprised them about their newborns’ looks. Expect the unexpected.

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Judah, one day old

“When Judah was born, he had red hair. I couldn’t stop kissing him and looking at his hair. Never in my life did I imagine I would have a sweet little redheaded boy!” —Amanda Wissmann

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Kinley, seven days old

“We just couldn’t get over how chunky her tiny little face was!” —Tanya Scanlon

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Sophia, seven days old

“The first thing I noticed was how long our daughter was. She was 21 inches long at birth! I was expecting a tiny little baby and here, I have a long string bean!” —Devon Lindsay

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Mnqobi, seven days old

“When the doctors first handed him to me, I was scared to kiss him because he was so little.” —Thenjy Mazibuko

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Harrison, two hours old

“I definitely realized how very strange (and scary!) it is to see yourself in another human being!” —Leah Roberts

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Mariana, three days old

“Mariana was born with so much hair. She had at least two inches when she was born.” —Chelsea Clark

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Jocelyn, seven days old

“We didn't find out the sex, but both of us just had the feeling it was a boy, so when my husband got to say ‘It’s a girl,’ we were definitely surprised!” —Korrianne Risinger

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Mia, two days old

“She was definitely bigger than we expected!” —Hilda Kruger

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Lenny, three days old

“My wife is a high risk labor and delivery nurse, and I work on babies as a flight paramedic, so when we first laid eyes on our son we were just so thankful that he was healthy!” —Ryan Birt

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Sarina, five days old

“The first thing I thought after meeting our little girl was that she was definitely more beautiful than we ever could have expected.” —Tanya Giancaspro-Carvalho